Vending-m achine



H. H. HOLT.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV,15, 1915.

1 1 94,02 1 Q Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

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2 SHEETS-S H. H. HOLT.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATIQN FILED NOV. 15. 19:5.

1 194,02 1 Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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VENDING MACHINEQ Application filed November 15, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT H. HOLT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holt, in the county of Clay, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a vending machine and particularly to a -machine for vending spheres of chewing gum.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of this character which is provided with a complete glass container for the spheres of gum, in which container no rods or other metal parts are located.

A further object of the invention resides in so constructing the device that it will'be entirely automatic in its operation.

A still further object of the invention resides in so constructing the machine that the spheres of gum will be fed therefrom by the action of. gravity entirely.

lVith these and other objects in view, such as will appear as my description progresses, my invention comprises the combination and arrangement of parts as set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 'is a vertical sectional view; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view showing the mechanism for permitting but one of the spheres of gum to escape from the container at a time; Fig. 4 is a detail of the pawl operating mechanism; Fig. 5 is a detail of the dispensing disk, and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters wherein like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the several views: In the embodiment of the invention shown, I have illustrated a rectangular casing 1 which is provided with an opening 2 in the upper end thereof and which casing may be made of metal or any other suitable material. Extending upwardly from the edge of the opening 2' is a flange 3 on which a flange 4 of a glass container 5 rests. This glass container is removable from the flange on the casing but is normally held thereon by a clamping strip 6 which en- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Serial No. 61,649.

gages the flange on the container and the flange on the casing. The ends of this strip 6 are locked together by a suitable look. It

will be obvious that when the lock is rei leased that the strip may be removed, because of the fact that it is resilient, and the receptacle removed and refilled as desired. This container 5 is constructed for the purpose of storing spheres of chewing gum and in order that they may be dispensed therefrom one by one, I have provided the following mechanism: Located in the casing l beneath the opening 2 therein is a guide member 7 in which a disk 8 rotates. This disk 8 is provided with a plurality of openings 9 which extend completely through the disk and form, in fact, pockets. The thick ness of this disk is equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of the largest gum sphere which is now 011 the market. The di ameter of the disk is slightly greater than the diameter of the opening 2 and the pockets 9 are in direct communication with the container 5 so that all of the pockets will be filled with gum spheres. Extending from the guide member 7 is a tube 10, the upper end of which opens toward the lower face of the disk 8 and the lower end of which opens through the lower end of the casing 1, at 11, beneath which opening 11 a suitable receptacle 12 is secured for the reception of the gum as it passes from the tube. Extending inwardly from the edge of the opening 2 is a plate 13 which is located immediately above the upper face of the disk 8 and also in alinement with the upper end of the tube 10 so that when one of the pockets 9 is moved. into alinement with the tube only the sphere which is located within the pocket will be permitted to drop through the tube while the remainder in the container will be prevented from such movement. Now in order that this disk 8 may be rotated, I have secured to the lower face of the same, a rod 14 which extends downwardly through the guide member 7 and is rotatably mounted in a bearing member 15. The lower end of this rod terminates short of the bottom of the casing 1 in alinement with an opening 16 and is squared.

Secured to and encircling the rod 141: is a helical spring 17 which is at its other end secured to the casing 1. When the spring is under tension it will tend to rotate the disk 8 and in order that this movement of the disk may be permitted to take place step by step,

I have provided a pawl 18 which is mounted within the guide member 7 and is adapted to engage any one of a plurality of notches 19 in the periphery of the disk 8. These notches 19 are so arranged that the toe of the pawl will engage them between the pockets 9 and thus arrest one of the pockets over the tube 10. In order that this pawl may be operated by a coin to disengage the notch in the disk I have provided a bell crank lever 20 which is pivoted, at 21, and one arm of which is connected by a link 22 to the pawl. The other arm of this lever has a rod 23 connected thereto which rod extends downwardly through a guide member 24: and is provided with a toe portion 25. Extending transversely of this rod 28 is a pin 26 and interposed between this pin and the guide member 2% is a helical spring 27 which normally tends to force the toe end of the pawl 18 into engagement with the edge of the disk 8 so that it will drop into the notches in the disk. A slot 28 is formed in the upper end of the casing 1 and extending from this slot is a helical chute which terminates slightly above the end of the toe portion 25. The bottom of the casing 1 is removable as shown in Fig. 1 and is provided with a locking device 29 so that it may be locked in place.

Now in operating the device, after the container has been filled with gum and the spring 17 has been put under proper tension by a key engageable with the end of the rod 1 1, a coin is dropped into the slot .28 and passes from this slot through the chute leading therefrom. The coin drops from the end of the chute and strikes the toe portion 25 of the rod 23 thus releasing the pawl 18 from the notch in the edge of the disk with which it is engaged. The coin immediately drops from the said toe portion into the casing and the spring 27 returns the toe portion of the pawl into engagement with the edge of the disk so that when the next notch arrives the movement of the disk will be arrested. Now as the disk moves as above described one of the pockets 9 will be carried over the tube 10 so that the sphere of gum in the said pocket will drop into the tube and pass therethrough to the receptacle 12 where it will be accessible. The remaining gum will be prevented from escaping by the plates 13 as previously described.

lVhile I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my invention, it has merely been for the sake of convenience and I do not wish to be limited to that particular embodiment as it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a dispensing disk, said disk having notches in the edge thereof, of a pawl adapted to engage said notches successively, a bell crank lever, a link connect ing the pawl and the bell crank lever, rod extending from the bell crank lever and having a toe portion thereon and a spring encircling said rod for normally urging the pawl into engagement with the disk.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a rotatable dispensing disk having a plurality of notches in its edge, of a. pawl for engaging said notches, means for disengaging the pawl from the notches, which means includes a bell crank lever, a link connecting one arm of the lever and the pawl, a rod connected to the other arm of the lever and extending downwardly through a bearing member, a spring for normally forcing said rod upwardly and a coin chute, the said rod having a toe portion extending beneath the coin chute.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

' HERBERT H. HOLT.

IVitnesses:

IV. H. SMITH, C. M. HOLT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

